Method and apparatus for defining location coordinates
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for expressing a geographic location in a coordinate system, comprising:
- determining a plurality of coordinates in a coordinate system associated with a geographic location, each of said plurality of coordinates having at least one associated attribute discernable from the respective coordinate;
converting said plurality of coordinates into a respective plurality of strings of at least one character; and
forming a single string of characters having a first portion and a second portion based on said plurality of strings of at least one character and at least one attribute associated with one of said plurality of coordinates, said first portion including at least one character indicative of said at least one attribute, and said second portion including at least one character indicative of said plurality of strings of at least one character, said single string being indicative of said plurality of coordinates in said coordinate system.
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Abstract
A method and system allows two or more different coordinates for a geographic location to be expressed as a single string of characters. The single string of characters may include numerical digits or numbers, alphabetic characters or letters, punctuation or other typographical marks, other symbols, or a combination of two or more of these. A geographic location may refer to a physical place, the location of an object, or some other location.
156 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A method for expressing a geographic location in a coordinate system, comprising:
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determining a plurality of coordinates in a coordinate system associated with a geographic location, each of said plurality of coordinates having at least one associated attribute discernable from the respective coordinate;
converting said plurality of coordinates into a respective plurality of strings of at least one character; and
forming a single string of characters having a first portion and a second portion based on said plurality of strings of at least one character and at least one attribute associated with one of said plurality of coordinates, said first portion including at least one character indicative of said at least one attribute, and said second portion including at least one character indicative of said plurality of strings of at least one character, said single string being indicative of said plurality of coordinates in said coordinate system. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
receiving said plurality of coordinates via an electronic communication;
receiving information regarding said plurality of coordinates from a device;
receiving information regarding a first of said plurality of coordinates from a first source and a second of said plurality of coordinates from a second source;
retrieving data indicative of said plurality of coordinates; and
retrieving data indicative of said geographic location.
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3. The method of claim 1, wherein said converting said plurality of coordinates into a respective plurality of strings of at least one character includes at least one of the following:
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determining a degree of accuracy associated with said plurality of strings;
identifying a convention for conversion of a coordinate into a string of at least one character;
determining a convention for conversion of a coordinate into a string of at least one character and converting each of said plurality of coordinates according to said convention;
identifying an attribute for at least one of said plurality of coordinates;
identifying an attribute for each of said plurality of coordinates;
encoding at least one attribute into at least one of said plurality of strings;
encoding an identifier of at least one degree of accuracy into at least one of said plurality of strings; and
encoding an identifier of at least one convention into at least one of said plurality of strings.
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4. The method of claim 1, wherein said forming a single string of characters based on said plurality of strings of at least one character includes at least one of the following:
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identifying a convention for conversion of said plurality of strings into said single string;
encoding at least one attribute into said single string;
encoding at least one convention into said single string; and
determining a convention for conversion of said plurality of strings into said single string and forming said single string according to said convention.
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5. The method of claim 1, wherein said forming a single string of characters based on said plurality of strings of at least one character includes at least one of the following:
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interspersing said plurality of strings of at least one character to create said single string; and
concatenating said plurality of strings of at least one character to create said single string.
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6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
determining a convention to intersperse said plurality of strings.
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7. The method of claim 1, wherein said geographic location is expressed in a universal coordinate system.
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8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
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identifying an attribute of at least one of said plurality of coordinates; and
forming at least one attribute string indicative of a first attribute and a second attribute different from said first attribute.
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9. A method for expressing a geographic location, comprising:
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determining a geographic location expressed using at least a first coordinate and a second coordinate;
determining at least one attribute of said first coordinate, said at least one attribute being discernable from said first coordinate;
determining at least one attribute of said second coordinate, said at least one attribute being discernable from said second coordinate;
determining an attribute string based, at least in part, on said at least one attribute of said first coordinate and said at least one attribute of said second coordinate;
creating a first string of at least one character representative of said first coordinate;
creating a second string of at least one character representative of said second coordinate; and
creating a single string of at least one character based, at least in part, on said first string, said second string, and said attribute string. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
determining at least one convention associated with said attribute string.
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11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:
determining at least one convention associated with said first string.
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12. The method of claim 9, wherein said creating a first string of at least one character representative of said first coordinate includes creating a first string of at least one character representative of said first coordinate and at least one attribute of said first coordinate.
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13. The method of claim 9, wherein said determining at least one attribute of said first coordinate includes at least one of the following:
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determining a coordinate system used to express said first coordinate;
determining a direction associated with said first coordinate;
determining a degree of accuracy associated with said first coordinate;
determining an identifier associated with a source of said geographic location; and
determining an identifier associated with a source of said first coordinate.
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14. The method of claim 9, wherein said determining an attribute string based, at least in part, on said at least one attribute of said first coordinate and said at least one attribute of said second coordinate includes:
including at least one character in said attribute string that is indicative of said at least one attribute of said first coordinate and said at least one attribute of said second coordinate.
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15. The method of claim 9, wherein said creating a first string of at least one character representative of said first coordinate includes identifying a convention for conversion of a coordinate into a string of at least one character and converting said first coordinate into said first string in accordance with said convention.
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16. The method of claim 9, wherein said creating a single string of at least one character based, at least in part, on said first string, said second string, and said attribute string includes identifying a convention for conversion of said first string, said second string and said attribute string into a single string of at least one character and converting said first string, said second string, and said attribute string into said single string in accordance with said convention.
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17. The method of claim 9, further comprising:
determining a transformation that converts said single string into a second single string and encodes error protection into said second single string.
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18. A method for determining a geographic location, comprising:
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determining a string of characters indicative of a geographic location in a coordinate system, said string of characters having a first portion and a second portion, and said first portion includes at least one character indicative of at least one attribute of at least one coordinate, and said second portion includes at least one character indicative of at least one of a plurality of strings of at least one character;
determining a plurality of strings from said string of characters, each of said plurality of strings being indicative of a coordinate associated with said geographic location; and
converting each of said plurality of strings into data indicative of its respective coordinate in a universal coordinate system. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22)
determining an attribute associated with at least one of said plurality of strings based, at least in part, on said string of characters.
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20. The method of claim 18, wherein said determining a string of characters indicative of a geographic location includes at least one of the following:
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receiving said string of characters from a single source;
receiving an electronic communication that includes said string of characters;
retrieving information that includes said string of characters; and
extracting at least one convention from said string of characters.
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21. The method of claim 18, wherein said determining a plurality of strings from said string of characters includes determining a plurality of strings from said string of characters, each of said plurality of strings being indicative of a coordinate associated with said geographic location, a coordinate associated with said geographic location and at least one of its attributes, or at least one attribute of all coordinates.
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22. The method of claim 18, wherein said converting each of said plurality of strings into data indicative of its respective coordinate in a universal coordinate system includes converting each of said plurality of strings that represent coordinates into data indicative of its respective coordinate in a universal coordinate system.
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23. A system for creating a string expressing a geographic location, comprising:
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a memory;
a communication port; and
a processor connected to said memory and said communication port, said processor being operative to;
determine a geographic location expressed using at least a first coordinate and a second coordinate;
determine at least one attribute of said first coordinate, said at least one attribute being discernable from said first coordinate;
determine at least one attribute of said second coordinate, said at least one attribute being discernable from said second coordinate;
determine an attribute string based, at least in part, on said at least one attribute of said first coordinate and said at least one attribute of said second coordinate;
create a first string of at least one character representative of said first coordinate;
create a second string of at least one character representative of said second coordinate; and
create a single string of at least one character based, at least in part, on said first string, said second string, and said attribute string.
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24. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for creating a string expressing a geographic location, comprising:
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first instructions for identifying a geographic location expressed using at least a first coordinate and a second coordinate;
second instructions for identifying at least one attribute of said first coordinate, said at least one attribute being discernable from said first coordinate;
third instructions for identifying at least one attribute of said second coordinate, said at least one attribute being discernable from said second coordinate;
fourth instructions for identifying an attribute string based, at least in part, on said at least one attribute of said first coordinate and said at least one attribute of said second coordinate;
fifth instructions for generating a first string of at least one character representative of said first coordinate;
sixth instructions for generating a second string of at least one character representative of said second coordinate; and
seventh instructions for generating a single string of at least one character based, at least in part, on said first string, said second string, and said attribute string. - View Dependent Claims (25)
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Specification